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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

KCK woman indicted on health care fraud

U.S. Department of Justice

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Kansas City, Kan., woman working as a personal care attendant was indicted Wednesday on a federal charge that Medicaid paid more than $587,000 based on fraudulent bills she submitted, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced.

The indictment alleged the crimes occurred while Betts was claiming to provide personal services, residential support, day support, and sleep cycle support for seven different Medicaid consumers through four different billing agencies since January 2008. Personal services include bathing, house cleaning, meal preparation, toileting, transferring and prompting patients to take medication.

The indictment alleges an analysis of Betts’ documentation of services showed:

She claimed to be with two or more different clients at the same time.

She claimed to provide services when clients actually were in the hospital.

She claimed to provide services when she was at her own medical appointments.

She claimed to provide services at different locations without any travel time between them.

The indictment alleges she documented more than 750 work days that exceeded 24 hours, the highest of which totaled 39.5 hours.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Health and Human Services and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s Medicaid Fraud Division investigated. Assistant Attorney General Stefani Hepford of the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway are prosecuting.